Purpose​

Glucuronidation is considered a major metabolic pathway for drugs containing carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, and amine moieties [1]. In the human body, UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are located hepatically and extrahepatically, with intestine as the main extrahepatic site [2]. Beta-blocker antihypertensive drugs, such as labetalol, with a hydroxyl group in their structures, are likely to be metabolized via glucuronidation [3]. The literature reports gender-related differences in labetalol PK [4, 5], as well as pregnancy-induced changes in labetalol clearance [6, 7]. 

By Jasmina Novakovic and Grace Fraczkiewicz 

Presented at American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) PharmSci 360, October 17-20, 2021